Websites and speed

A website works on your phone but not on your Mac

When a site opens on your phone but not on your Mac, the problem is usually on the Mac. Compare the two devices one layer at a time.

Applies to: macOS 13 Ventura and later for the System Settings paths. The Terminal commands work on all current macOS versions.Checked: 29 October 2026

Symptoms

Safari or another browser shows an error or an empty page for one site.
The same site opens on your phone.
Other sites open on the Mac.
The site fails in every browser on the Mac, or only in one browser.

Likely causes

A different network. Your phone can use cellular data while the Mac uses Wi-Fi. Then the two devices do not use the same network path.
Custom DNS or proxy settings. Apple says that custom DNS or proxy settings on the Mac can stop access to some content.
VPN or security software. Software that monitors or changes network connections can stop some websites.
Browser extensions or stored website data. A content blocker or bad cookies can stop one site in one browser.
A different IP version. The phone and the Mac can reach the site over IPv4 or IPv6. One path can fail while the other works.

How to check

Connect your phone to the same Wi-Fi network as the Mac. Turn off cellular data on the phone for this test.
Open the site on the phone again. If it fails now too, the problem is the network or the site, not the Mac.
On the Mac, open the site in a private window. In Safari, choose File > New Private Window.
Open the site in a different browser on the Mac. If it works there, the problem is in the first browser.
In Terminal, request the site and show each step of the connection.
```
curl -v -I https://example.com
```
Try the request over IPv4 only, then over IPv6 only. Compare the results.
```
curl -4 -I https://example.com
curl -6 -I https://example.com
```
Show the DNS servers that the Mac uses now.
```
scutil --dns
```
Show the system proxy settings.
```
scutil --proxy
```

How to fix it

If the site works in a private window, remove its stored data. In Safari, choose Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data. Select the site, then click Remove.
If the site works in another browser, turn off the extensions. In Safari, choose Safari > Settings > Extensions and clear each checkbox.
If a VPN or security app is on, turn it off for a short test. Turn it on again after the test.
If scutil --proxy shows a proxy that you do not expect, remove it.
Open System Settings > Network. Select the service, click Details, then click Proxies.
If you use custom DNS servers, set DNS back to the network's own servers for a test. See DNS not resolving on a Mac.
If IPv6 fails and IPv4 works, read IPv6 problems on a Mac.
To reset all network settings, make a new network location. In System Settings > Network, click the Action pop-up menu, then choose Locations > Edit Locations.

With Kilobat

Kilobat's connection doctor tests one site layer by layer: network, proxy, DNS, Kilobat rules, IPv4, IPv6, TLS and the server. It names the layer that failed.
```
kilobat why https://example.com
```
To test the path of one app, add its bundle ID. The doctor then also checks the proxy in that app's environment.
```
kilobat why https://example.com --app com.apple.Safari
```
In the app, use Why can’t it connect? in the Health tab. This feature is free. See Find why one site or API won't connect.

Questions

Why does the site work on cellular data but not on my Wi-Fi?

The two networks use different DNS servers and different routes. Test the phone on the same Wi-Fi as the Mac to compare the same path.

Can I go back to my old network settings?

Yes. A new location keeps the old one. Choose the old location from the Apple menu, or from the Action pop-up menu in System Settings > Network.

Sources

Apple Support: If Safari doesn't work as expected on Mac
Apple Support: Manage network locations on Mac
scutil(8), man page installed with macOS 27.2
curl(1), man page installed with macOS 27.2

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with man <name> in Terminal.